Table 1.
Current therapeutic approaches modulating nitrogen metabolism in pre-clinical and clinical studies in Fatty Liver Disease.
| Phase of the study | Main findings | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modulation of gut microbiota | Lactulose | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Improve hepatic inflammation Cannot prevent steatohepatitis development |
(43, 44) |
| Rifaximin | Clinical trials and observational studies | Safe and effective in modifying steatohepatitis No beneficial effect |
(46–48) | |
| Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Stools derived from healthy rodents could correct gut microbiota in steatohepatitis mice | (56) | |
| Engineering/FMT (SYNB1020) | Clinical trial: phase 1 | Proven to be safe and effective in lowering ammonemia. | (57) | |
| Yaq-001 | Clinical trial: programmed | A safety and efficacy study for the therapy of Fatty Liver Disease is being conducted | (58, 59) | |
| Targeting hepatic ureagenesis/glutaminase | Ornithine phenylacetate (OP) | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Reduced hyperammonemia. Improved steatohepatitis and fibrosis | (16, 17) |
| Glutaminase inhibitor: BPTES | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Reduced fibrosis in mouse models of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis | (36) | |
| GLS silencing | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Ameliorated steatohepatitis in mouse models of diet-induced steatohepatitis without significant fibrosis | (19) | |
| Glutamine supplementation | Glutamine supplement in diet | Pre-clinical: Animal models | Glutamine has a certain protective effect in Fatty Liver Disease | (62–64) |